Just finished some testing. LGS said that 7 players wasn't enough to have a proper tourney, after one of the players pulled out coz player 8 was 10 mins late -.-.
Played against Grixis Prowess, running Abbot and Swiftspear in place of twin, basically. Discard, removal, snappy, lilli. It was really one sided. We played 3 games pre-board and 5+ post board and I won them all pretty convincingly. Twice via combo.
Also tested against Ad Nauseum. It was brutal in the other direction. Only played 2 matches though, (2-1, 2-1). Even with T1 Noble into T2 Geist and T3 Coco he was able to Angel's Grace and Phyrexian Unlife until the combo was assembled. Any thoughts on this matchup? Probably not common enough to warrant dedicated SB slots, but splash hate would be OK.
MVPs were Voice, Thalia (might move to 3 SB) and the combo. Here's the list I played.
Leyline of sanctity can be very good in a meta with a lot of jund/abzan and burn so definitely a nice sb card. And it is backbreaking against ad nauseam, if that is what concerns you.
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-Currently playing:
Modern Project AnafenzaBGW
Modern KnightfallGRUW
Recently bought 4x tarmogoyf. Considering what to play next.
-Proud Selesnyan Guildmage and Dromoka's Follower.
I don't really have any experience against ad nauseam.. But doesn't Qasali pridemage helps set back ad nauseam at least a few turns with all those mana creating artifact?
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I didn't see my pridemages in those games. They would help a bit vs. the sunburst rock and lotus bloom. They would help a lot vs. Phyrexian Unlife too. I was hoping to hit them off CoCo for that reason. They can still win with Angel's Grace too though. That player did have his 1-of Slaughter Pact vs my T3 combo on the play. That saved him one match!
I didn't see my pridemages in those games. They would help a bit vs. the sunburst rock and lotus bloom. They would help a lot vs. Phyrexian Unlife too. I was hoping to hit them off CoCo for that reason. They can still win with Angel's Grace too though. That player did have his 1-of Slaughter Pact vs my T3 combo on the play. That saved him one match!
One thing I've learned is that sometimes you want to mulligan an OK hand for a hand that has what you need against decks like that. It def sounds like meddling mage can put in work there.
What do you guys think of undergrowth champion and retreat to kazandu? Retreat to kazandu seems to work very well with Geist while undergrowth champion could easily grow to pretty big. I thinking of having both retreat to kazandu and retreat to coralhelm in a 2/3 split by dropping a creature or 2/2 split..
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What do you guys think of undergrowth champion and retreat to kazandu? Retreat to kazandu seems to work very well with Geist while undergrowth champion could easily grow to pretty big. I thinking of having both retreat to kazandu and retreat to coralhelm in a 2/3 split by dropping a creature or 2/2 split..
My problem with Undergrowth Champion is that unfair decks can totally ignore it. It is a 2/2 for 3 that doesn't offer much of a damage clock, and has no disruption. The reason Geist, Knight, Pridemage, and the other cards are so good is because they are all some combination of an extremely fast clock, disruption of the opposing plans, and/or a total kill combo. Voice of Resurgence doesn't even always make the cut, because unless he is getting triggered, he is just a 2/2 beater. But Undergrowth Champion is never more than a beater or slow blocker. And Kitchen Finks performs the "beat down and block well" role better, while gaining life in crucial matchups.
That same reason is why Retreat to Kazandu is a poor choice. It does nothing unless you have a creature (gaining 2 life doesn't count). At least Retreat to Coralhelm can scry you to good cards on a bad day. And on a good day, it totally removes blockers, generates mana, and combo-kills.
In a competitive Modern format, you must ask the same question of each card. Does this card stabilize, threaten, or disrupt? If not, you'd better have a darn good reason for running it.
There's a card I've seen talked about but no one seems to have tried it: lotus cobra
Why? Due to our fetch and shocklands, we are never able to make knight hit for 20 to directly win the game, with either courser of the kruphix or lotus cobra, it become possible.
An average build have 22 land consisting of average 10 fetches and 5 shockland, that's already 20 damage from land itself. Assuming you go 1st, the number of fetch you used is 1 fetch and 1 shockland when you assembled the combo, you have already taken 3 damage, leaving you only 17, those knowing what deck you are playing will throw their bolt at your face and assume they are lucky to have 2 bolt, you are now left with 11 life while they left around 18 to 19 life if they only fetches up to twice for basic or used a shockland or none and be full 20. Try comboing to one shot them then..
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There's a card I've seen talked about but no one seems to have tried it: lotus cobra
Why? Due to our fetch and shocklands, we are never able to make knight hit for 20 to directly win the game, with either courser of the kruphix or lotus cobra, it become possible.
An average build have 22 land consisting of average 10 fetches and 5 shockland, that's already 20 damage from land itself. Assuming you go 1st, the number of fetch you used is 1 fetch and 1 shockland when you assembled the combo, you have already taken 3 damage, leaving you only 17, those knowing what deck you are playing will throw their bolt at your face and assume they are lucky to have 2 bolt, you are now left with 11 life while they left around 18 to 19 life if they only fetches up to twice for basic or used a shockland or none and be full 20. Try comboing to one shot them then..
Normally I start by fetching a basic forest. I think you are missing kessig wolf run damage as you need about 8-10 life to do 20 damage from my manbase with 5 basics, 9 fetches and 5 shocks. This can vary depending on exact lands drawn, but I think the average is about 8 since you dont need to shock yourself much (just for red).
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Modern Decks
KnightfallGWUR
Azorius Control UW
Burn RBG
Sadly so far I've been always 1 or 2 damage short of winning due to not enough life to take damage from fetch n shock land especially if I don't have courser when I start the combo even with adding the damage from wolf run.
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Lately i've been siding in rhox war monk a lot, so i've been wondering if the card is worth some space main deck. I face a lot of aggro decks and linear combo deck, Monk would help in the aggro matchup but geist of saint traft is better at clocking combo players. Maybe a 2/2 split of monk and geist, and hope to draw the right one in the right matchup?
Other than that i've been also considering a 2/2 split between doran, the siege tower and geist of saint traft. The splash would be easy, i would swap my temple garden for murmuring bosk and play 10 forest fetchlands. Drawing Doran and geist seems better than drawing 2 geists. Doran is the 3 drop with the second fastest clock (after geist). Doran can also pump all the dorks which is not that relevant but still a nice bonus. This would also open the possibility of playing siege rhino.
Thoughts?
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modern:UW spirits, BR goblins
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Pridemage is just so good vs just so many.
Modern Project AnafenzaBGW
Modern KnightfallGRUW
Recently bought 4x tarmogoyf. Considering what to play next.
-Proud Selesnyan Guildmage and Dromoka's Follower.
-Level 1 Judge
TappedOut
Would love to have more input to improve!
One thing I've learned is that sometimes you want to mulligan an OK hand for a hand that has what you need against decks like that. It def sounds like meddling mage can put in work there.
TappedOut
Would love to have more input to improve!
My problem with Undergrowth Champion is that unfair decks can totally ignore it. It is a 2/2 for 3 that doesn't offer much of a damage clock, and has no disruption. The reason Geist, Knight, Pridemage, and the other cards are so good is because they are all some combination of an extremely fast clock, disruption of the opposing plans, and/or a total kill combo. Voice of Resurgence doesn't even always make the cut, because unless he is getting triggered, he is just a 2/2 beater. But Undergrowth Champion is never more than a beater or slow blocker. And Kitchen Finks performs the "beat down and block well" role better, while gaining life in crucial matchups.
That same reason is why Retreat to Kazandu is a poor choice. It does nothing unless you have a creature (gaining 2 life doesn't count). At least Retreat to Coralhelm can scry you to good cards on a bad day. And on a good day, it totally removes blockers, generates mana, and combo-kills.
In a competitive Modern format, you must ask the same question of each card. Does this card stabilize, threaten, or disrupt? If not, you'd better have a darn good reason for running it.
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Currently playing Knight of the Reliquary - Retreat to Coralhelm Combo
Zur the Enchanter would be maybe 1-2 (one is fine) because he is not the star of the deck but like the other cards another way to kill without combo.
Something like:
Thassa, God of the Sea not just help Knight of the reliquary in this deck but shines with Geist of Saint Traft.
Haha! Yes, it is Hallowed Fountain. What an awesome typo.
Why? Due to our fetch and shocklands, we are never able to make knight hit for 20 to directly win the game, with either courser of the kruphix or lotus cobra, it become possible.
3 Courser of Kruphix
4 Geist of Saint Traft
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Qasali Pridemage
3 Voice of Resurgence
4 Path to Exile
4 Retreat to Coralhelm
1 Breeding Pool
4 Forest
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Kessig Wolf Run
4 Misty Rainforest
1 Plains
1 Sejiri Steppe
1 Stomping Ground
2 Temple Garden
4 Windswept Heath
2 Wooded Foothills
Currently this is my deck, I'm thinking of dropping 1 courser and 1 voice for 2 lotus cobra.
TappedOut
Would love to have more input to improve!
KnightfallGWUR
Azorius Control UW
Burn RBG
TappedOut
Would love to have more input to improve!
You should have no problem making your knight hit for 20, specially with Wolf Run and 8 mana dorks.
Normally I start by fetching a basic forest. I think you are missing kessig wolf run damage as you need about 8-10 life to do 20 damage from my manbase with 5 basics, 9 fetches and 5 shocks. This can vary depending on exact lands drawn, but I think the average is about 8 since you dont need to shock yourself much (just for red).
KnightfallGWUR
Azorius Control UW
Burn RBG
TappedOut
Would love to have more input to improve!
Other than that i've been also considering a 2/2 split between doran, the siege tower and geist of saint traft. The splash would be easy, i would swap my temple garden for murmuring bosk and play 10 forest fetchlands. Drawing Doran and geist seems better than drawing 2 geists. Doran is the 3 drop with the second fastest clock (after geist). Doran can also pump all the dorks which is not that relevant but still a nice bonus. This would also open the possibility of playing siege rhino.
Thoughts?